SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China banned sales of Italian
mozzarella cheese on Saturday after Italy ordered a recall of
the product because it might be contaminated with
cancer-causing dioxins.

The Chinese government agency that supervises product
quality ordered importers to stop selling the cheese and to
recall Italian mozzarella that had already been sold, the
official Xinhua agency said.

The mailing or carrying of the cheese into China were also
banned.

"Every batch of other kinds of cheese products from Italy
must go through laboratory tests before they are allowed to
enter the country," the General Administration of Quality
Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine was quoted as saying.

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After Italy announced its recall on Friday, Japan and South
Korea blocked imports and Singapore halted sales.

France briefly banned sales of some Italian mozzarella but
revoked the ban hours later after winning Rome's assurance that
none of the suspect cheese had been exported there.